Corner cube retroreflector device, method, and apparatus

ABSTRACT

Corner cube retroreflector apparatus. At least one of the illustrative embodiments is an apparatus with three plates, each with a face, each adjoined substantially perpendicular and substantially normal to each other; an alignment device coupled to the first plate face with an adjustable plate substantially parallel to the first plate face and movably coupled to the first plate, and adjustable with respect to an angular relationship with the second and third plates; a second alignment device coupled to the second plate face with an adjustable plate substantially parallel to the second plate face and movably coupled to the second plate, and adjustable with respect to an angular relationship with the first and third plates; attachment appurtenances on both alignment devices which holds components of the retroreflective device onto the alignment devices during assembly; and apertures through which portions of the retroreflective device are accessible during assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/105,033filed May 11, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,651,674, titled “Corner CubeRetroreflector Device, Method, and Apparatus,” the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below. TheSer. No. 13/105,033 application claims benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/356,329, filed Jun. 18, 2010, titled “Corner CubeRetroreflector Device, Method, and Apparatus,” the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below.

BACKGROUND

Retroreflecting devices provide the ability to reflect light back towardthe light source. Retroreflecting devices may be utilized in a varietyof applications where it is desirable to transmit and subsequentlyreturn a beam of light. The properties of retroreflecting devices mayfacilitate substantial latitude with respect to the alignment of theretroreflecting device and the angle of approach of the incident beam,which may facilitate and/or simplify alignment of a retroreflectingdevice and the related incident beam. Retroreflecting devices may be acorner cube mirror or may be a plurality of corner cube mirrors combinedas a retroreflecting unit. Assembling corner cube mirrors from multiplecomponents may require accurate and precise alignment, with respect tothe angle at which the components relate. The method of attaching thecomponents of corner cube mirrors to one another may also be important,as some methods of attachment may alter the alignment of the componentsduring or after the attachment process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, referenceis now made to the following brief description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein likereference numerals represent like parts.

FIG. 1A is a side view of a corner cube mirror assembly, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a corner cube mirror assembly,according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 1C is a back view of a corner mirror assembly, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a front view of an alignment device, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a side view of an alignment device, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of an alignment device, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a front view of a fixture, according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a fixture, according to an embodimentof the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a back view of a corner cube mirror assembly, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates additional views of portions of corner cube mirrorassemblies, according to embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a side view of a corner cube mirror assembly, according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5B illustrates a view of a portion of a corner cube mirrorassembly, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5C illustrates a view of a portion of a corner cube mirrorassembly, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart representative of an embodiment of thedisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood at the outset that although illustrativeimplementations of one or more embodiments are illustrated below, thedisclosed systems and methods may be implemented using any number oftechniques, whether currently known or developed in the future. Thedisclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrativeimplementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, but may bemodified within the scope of the appended claims along with their fullscope of equivalents.

A method, a device and an apparatus are taught that facilitateassembling corner cube mirror assemblies (CCM). The disclosure teaches amethod of assembly that provides improved attachment of the mirrors thatcomprise a CCM, one to another, by virtue of employing additional piecesof material, referred to herein as supporting members, that may be thesame or similar to the material of construction of the mirror substrate.The supporting members may provide increased contact surface areabetween the mirrors and/or may facilitate improved attachment of thecomponents of the mirror assembly. In addition, the supporting membersmay provide a bracing effect related to the leverage imparted onto thestructure, which may further strengthen the overall structure of thecorner cube mirrors.

The method also teaches observing and monitoring the alignment of theindividual mirrors that makeup the CCM during the assembly process,thereby facilitating adjustment to a desired alignment. An image may beimposed onto the faces of the three mirrors of the CCM while they are inthe jig. The reflected image returned from the mirrors may be observedby an operator. Movable stages with mirrors held in place onto them maythen be adjusted until the observed image is acceptable.

The device teaches a retroreflecting device comprising three reflectivesurfaces adjoined perpendicular to one another with supporting membersadhered to them, wherein the supporting members are of substantially thesame material of construction as the substrates of the reflectivesurfaces and have a cross-sectional shape that is complimentary to theedges of the reflective surfaces.

The apparatus teaches holding the components of the assembly in a frameor jig that enables adjustable alignment of two of the three mirrors ofthe assembly. The apparatus comprises positioning fixtures to facilitateinitial placement of the mirrors of the CCM, such that they are normalto one another, as well as adjustable stages to provide more precisealignment of the mirrors of the assembly.

In the present disclosure, the term “normal” is used to describe asurface that is in a position that is at approximately a 90 degree angleto another surface. In addition, the term “perpendicular” is used todescribe a surface that is more closely aligned to perfectlyperpendicular (e.g. exactly ninety degrees) to another surface. Whilenot wishing to be limited by theory, it is understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art that it is virtually impossible to achieve perfectlyperpendicular alignment. Herein, the term perpendicular will be used todescribe a relationship of two surfaces that sufficiently approachesperfect perpendicularity so as to achieve a desired result. Also, theterm “appurtenance” is used to describe a variety of mechanisms and/ormethods of holding components of the CCM in place during the alignment,assembly, and/or adhesive curing steps. Appurtenances may includephysical mechanisms, adhesives, forces (e.g. gravity, vacuum,centrifugal force, etc.), and/or other means by which to hold thecomponents of a CCM firmly in place during the assembly and/or curingstep, but that may subsequently permit their removal.

In an embodiment, one mirror of the CCM may be held stationary, whilethe other two are adjusted until they are both perpendicular to eachother, and also perpendicular to the stationary mirror. The apparatus isconfigured so as to facilitate adjoining of the components of the CCM,including supporting members, while they are still held in theapparatus. In addition, the use of an appropriate adhesive may providegood bonding, while reducing the expansion and/or contraction that someadhesives may exhibit. The apparatus is also configured to facilitateobservation and/or adjustment of the angular relationship of the mirrorswith one another, even as the adhesive cures, in order to adjust for anypossible change in alignment during the adhesive curing step.

The jig is provided with apertures that facilitate the placement ofadhesive and/or supporting members, so that certain portions of themirrors can be attached together with the supporting members, even whilestill in the jig. The mirror assembly may remain held in the jig as theadhesive cures. In addition, the alignment of the mirrors may bemonitored as described above, and the alignment may continue to beadjusted to compensate for any change in the alignment that may occur asthe adhesive cures. The CCM may then be removed from the jig and, ifdesired, additional portions of the supporting members may be adhered tothe CCM to fortify the overall assembly.

Turning now to FIG. 1A, a CCM 100 is illustrated. The CCM 100 comprisesa first mirror 102, a second mirror 104, a third mirror 106, and mayfurther comprise a plurality of supporting members 108 a-108 c (onlysupporting member 108 a shown in FIG. 1A). In an embodiment, firstmirror 102 may be attached at one of its edges to an edge of secondmirror 104 with the aid of the supporting member 108 a. For example, andas shown in FIG. 1A-1C, first mirror 102 and second mirror 104 may bearranged such that the reflective surfaces (e.g. the faces) of firstmirror 102 and second mirror 104 are toward each other, and aligned suchthat the faces abut one another, and such that an edge of each of firstmirror 102 and second mirror 104 are near one another. In thisconfiguration, the supporting member 108 a may be arranged to fitagainst the edges of both first mirror 102 and second mirror 104.Arranged accordingly, one side of supporting member 108 a is in contactwith first mirror 102, and another side of supporting member 108 a is incontact with second mirror 104, as shown in FIG. 1A-1C. In addition,third mirror 106 may likewise be arranged such that it is perpendicularto both first mirror 102 and second mirror 104. As in the earlierdescription, an additional supporting member 108 b may be arranged tomake contact with the edges of second mirror 104 and third mirror 106,as shown in FIG. 1C, below. Yet another supporting member 108 c may bearranged to similarly be in contact with first mirror 102 and thirdmirror 106, as shown in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the CCM 100, in which therelative placement and orientation of first mirror 102, second mirror104, and third mirror 106 is shown, and all three of the supportingmembers 108 a-108 c can be seen at the junctures of each of the mirrors.As in FIG. 1A, first mirror 102 may be arranged proximate to andperpendicular to second mirror 104 such that the faces of each mirrorare toward each other. The supporting member 108 a may be arranged tocontact edges of first mirror 102 and second mirror 104. Likewise, thirdmirror 106 may be arranged proximate to and perpendicular to both firstmirror 102 and second mirror 104, and supporting members 108 c may bearranged in accordance with the previous description, such that it is incontact with an edge of first mirror 102 and third mirror 106. Anotherof the supporting members 108 b may be arranged to be in contact withanother edge of third mirror 106 and an edge of second mirror 104. Inthis manner, by utilizing the supporting members 108 a-108 c, enhancedcontact area between each of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 may be provided in order to facilitate bonding of theindividual components with a suitable adhesive. Adhesive may be appliedin an appropriate manner so as to adhere the components of the CCM 100with the aid of the supporting members 108 a-108 c at the points ofcontact between first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror106.

In another embodiment, the surface of the substrates of first mirror102, second mirror 104, and/or third mirror 106 may be provided with aportion, such as a portion of an edge, or a portion of a face, that doesnot comprise a reflective surface, reflective material, or other coatingor layer. In an embodiment, there may be provided a strip or section onthe face of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106that may provide an area for adhering an adjacent mirror onto its face,without obscuring any reflective surfaces. For example, first mirror102, second mirror 104, and/or third mirror 106 may each have a narrowstrip on their respective faces, such as about the width of the edges ofthe substrates of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror106, without any reflective surface thereon. In this manner, forexample, second mirror 104 could be placed onto the face of first mirror102, on the portion of first mirror 102 that does not comprise areflective surface, and may be adhered thereon. Likewise, third mirror106 may be arranged so as to sit on the non-reflective portion of secondmirror 104, and may further be arranged to enable first mirror 102 torest on the non-reflective portion of third mirror 106. In this way,each of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 may beadhered onto the face of the respective adjacent mirror, withoutimposing on the reflective surface of the respective adjacent mirror.This configuration may provide additional strength and/or rigidity.

Functionality of corner cube mirror assemblies, such as CCM 100, maydepend on the alignment of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 of the assembly. A retroflector application may callfor accurate, precise alignment of first mirror 102, second mirror 104,and third mirror 106 such that they are perpendicular to each other. Themirrors may be on the order of about 324,000 arc-seconds (e.g. about90°) with respect to the angles between each of the three mirrors of theassembly. For example, first mirror 102 may be at an angle of about324,000 arc-seconds in relation to second mirror 104, and third mirror106 may be at an angle of about 324,000 arc-seconds in relation to bothfirst mirror 102 and second mirror 104. In an embodiment, an accuracy ofabout +/−1 arc-second, about +/−5 arc-seconds, about +/−10 arc-seconds,about +/−30 arc-seconds, or other measure of accuracy, as respects theangles between each of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and thirdmirror 106 of the CCM 100, may be called for in order to provideappropriate retroreflection for a given application. In units ofdegrees, accuracies of about 0.00028°, about 0.0014°, about 0.0028°,about 0.0083°, or other level of accuracy may be called for, as deemedappropriate in a given embodiment of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the substrate portion of first mirror 102, secondmirror 104, and third mirror 106 may be of a variety of materials suchas glass or glass-like material, including for example borosilicate,fused silica, soda-lime, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxynitride, or othersuitable glass material. Alternatively, the substrate may be formed of apolymeric glass (e.g. acrylic) including but not limited topolymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, or other such syntheticglass or glass-like material. The substrate portion of first mirror 102,second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 may also be formed of a metallicmaterial such as aluminum, gold, platinum, silver, or other metal oralloy of two or more metals. In an embodiment, the substrate portion offirst mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 may be of anymaterial suitable for a given application. With any of the materials ofconstruction of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror106, the faces may be optically flat.

In an embodiment, the substrate of first mirror 102, second mirror 104,and third mirror 106 may have one or more coating or layer depositedonto the mirror faces to facilitate or enhance the reflective propertiesof the substrate. The coatings may be, for example, aluminum, chromium,titanium, gold, palladium, silver, platinum, or other suitable material.The reflective surface may be deposited onto the face of the substrateelectrochemically, by vacuum deposition, by chemical vapor depositionsuch as the reduction of silver nitrate, by plasma vapor deposition(PVD), evaporation, sputtering, or other suitable method of coatingand/or plating onto the substrate.

The surface of the mirrors and/or coatings thereon may also be polished,either mechanically, chemically, by chemical-mechanical polishing, or byother means of polishing and/or smoothing of the substrate and/or thelayer or layers to further enhance the reflective properties of thesubstrate. Alternatively, other methods of depositing or plating may beemployed in order to provide a suitably reflective layer or surface onthe substrates of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror106 of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, all or a portion of theface of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 maycomprise a reflective surface.

In addition to coatings that may be applied to the substrate to enhancereflection, an additional coating or coatings may be applied as, forexample, a protective layer over the reflective surface or coating, oronto the substrate itself, if no additional reflective coatings havebeen applied thereon. The protective coatings may be, for example,magnesium fluoride, silicon monoxide, calcium fluoride, or othersuitable coating that may provide protection from scratching, corrosion,erosion, environmental elements, and/or other factors that might degradeand/or otherwise adversely affect the reflective properties orperformance of the substrate and/or layers or coatings depositedthereon.

It may be desirable for the protective coating to be opticallytransparent, in order to reduce the effect on the reflective surface.Alternatively, a protective coating may have desirable opticalproperties that may enhance or otherwise affect the optical propertiesof the incident or reflected light of first mirror 102, second mirror104, and third mirror 106. For example, a coating or layer may beapplied onto the reflective surface of one or more of the mirrors thatselectively reflects, refracts, or absorbs one or more wavelengths oflight, in a given application. In an embodiment, the substrates of firstmirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 and any coatings orlayers applied thereon may be of any suitable materials that meet therequirements of a particular application of the CCM 100 and/or relatedassemblies thereof.

The supporting members 108 may be of the same or similar material as thesubstrate, and may have a variety of cross-sectional shapes such assquare, rectangular, triangular, octagonal, spherical, or other shapethat suits a given application of the CCM 100. Any/all dimensions of thesupporting members 108 may vary, according to the requirements of agiven embodiment. In addition, surfaces of the supporting members 108and/or edges of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/or third mirror106 may be porous or may be rendered porous so as to facilitate orenhance adhesive attachment of the components. For example, some of thesurfaces of the substrates of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 and the supporting members 108 may be sandblasted orchemically etched to provide a surface that more readily adheres, inconjunction with an adhesive, to the contact surfaces of the componentsof the CCM 100. In this way, the attachment may be enhanced, which mayimprove the overall strength, stability, and/or robustness of the CCM100. Alternatively, surfaces of supporting members 108 and edges offirst mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/or third mirror 106 may bepolished, smoothed, or provided with other surface treatments as may fita particular desire or application.

The supporting members may be attached to the CCM 100 with anappropriate adhesive (e.g. one that provides sufficient adhesion, whileconcurrently reducing the volume change of the adhesive that may occuras it cures). For instance, one or more of a variety of cyanoacrylateadhesives may provide desirable adhesive properties. Cyanoacrylateadhesives, such as the commercially-available adhesive SUPER GLUE(available from the Super Glue Corporation), may provide good adhesionproperties, and may undergo less shrinkage than some other adhesives mayexperience during and subsequent to the curing process.

Some epoxy adhesives may undergo substantial volume changes during andafter curing. This volume change, either expansion or contraction, maycontinue to occur over a prolonged period after the epoxy has initiallyset, and may cause distortion of the CCM 100, which may adversely effectthe performance of the CCM 100. However, some glass-filled epoxies mayexhibit less volume change than non glass-filled epoxies, and maytherefore provide strong adhesion and volume stability. In anembodiment, a glass-filled epoxy such as TORR SEAL LOW VAPOR PRESSURERESIN SEALANT (available from Varian, Inc.) may be used to attach thecomponents of the assembly 100.

In another embodiment, one or more of a variety of polyurethaneadhesives may be employed in the construction of the CCM 100. While somepolyurethane adhesives may have considerable volume changecharacteristics, given the teachings of the disclosure that comprehendadjustments to the components of the CCM 100 during the curing of theadhesive, a suitable polyurethane adhesive may be used. In anembodiment, any suitable adhesive that exhibits appropriatecharacteristics for a given application may be used.

FIG. 1C illustrates a back view of a CCM 100. In an embodiment, thesupporting members 108 may be of a variety of sizes and shapes, in anyof three dimensions, and may be chosen to improve the contact areabetween the three mirrors of the CCM 100 to provide enhanced adhesion,structural support and/or facilitate alignment of first mirror 102,second mirror 104, and third mirror 106. In an embodiment, attachment offirst mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 may beachieved by using any number of supporting members 108, in any sizeand/or shape, as may be suitable for a given application.

FIG. 2A illustrates a front view of an adjuster 200 of an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The adjuster 200 comprises a base plate 210, amovable plate 211, knobs 212, and a portal 220. In an embodiment, theadjuster 200 may be a tilt-stage platform from Edmund Optics, such aspart number NT55-459, or similar, and may be configured such thatrotating the knobs 212 may change the tilt of the movable plate 211,with respect to the base plate 210. The portal 220 may be configured aswill be described, below. In an embodiment, a positioning lip 230 may beprovided, in order to facilitate initial positioning of a mirror of theCCM 100 for subsequent alignment and assembly with the remainingcomponents of the CCM 100.

FIG. 2B is a side view of the adjuster 200, and illustrates another viewof the components described in the discussion of FIG. 2A, including thebase plate 210, the movable plate 211, the knobs 212, the portal 220,and the positioning lip 230.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the adjuster 200, and illustratesanother view of the components described in the discussion of FIG. 2Aand FIG. 2B, including the base plate 210, the movable plate 211, theknobs 212, the portal 220, and the positioning lip 230.

FIG. 3A illustrates a fixture 300 of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. The fixture 300 may provide the ability to hold and alignthe components of the CCM 100 for assembly. The fixture 300 comprises afirst plate 302, a second plate 304, a third plate 306, and twoadjusters 200, hereinafter designated as adjuster 200 a and adjuster 200b, for the sake of clarity. The fixture 300 further comprises ports 320,and may comprise positioning pins 324. The ports 320 may be provided oneach of the plates 302, 304, 306. In an arrangement similar to thatdescribed above for the CCM 100, the three plates 302, 304, 306 of thefixture 300 may be arranged substantially normal to one another, and maybe attached in an appropriate manner so as to form an assembled unit asillustrated in FIG. 3A. Attachment may be by welding, gluing,drilling/tapping/fastening with screws and/or bolts, or otherwiseadjoining the plates 302, 304, 306 together at about normal angles toone another, as shown in FIG. 3A.

In an embodiment, the ports 320 may facilitate connection of a source ofvacuum that may draw air in through the back of the plate 306 andthrough the adjusters 200 a, 200 b via the plates 302, 304,respectively. This vacuum may thereby facilitate temporary, secureplacement of any of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and thirdmirror 106 of the CCM 100 onto the fixture 300 for alignment andassembly. In an embodiment, tubing, nipples, adapters, or other suchfitments (not shown) may be employed to facilitate airflow through theholes of the adjusters 200 a, 200 b in order to provide vacuum fromports 320 to the faces of the adjusters 200 a, 200 b. In addition, as anoption, fixture 300 may be provided with additional fixtures such aspositioning pins 324 or other alignment aids to, for example, aid inpreliminary positioning of a component or components of the CCM 100,prior to subsequent adjustment and alignment. The fixture 300 may alsobe configured with tabs, mounts, latches, and/or other fitments tofacilitate secure-but-temporary holding of the components of the CCM 100to the fixture 300 during assembly.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the fixture 300, and comprises thecomponents in the description of FIG. 3A, and in addition illustratesapertures 322. Note that the orientation of the adjusters 200 a, 200 bare rotated 90°, with respect to one another—the orientation of theadjusters 200 a, 200 b may be arranged so as to fit a particularapplication appropriately, and may be arranged to facilitate ease ofaccess to the knobs 212, or for any other considerations as may beindicated by a given situation.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a process of assembling aCCM will now be described. The fixture 300 may be secured in anappropriate holder of any form that may stabilize the fixture 300 andfacilitate attachment of a source of vacuum to the ports 320, and alsofacilitate operation of the knobs 212, while maintaining the stabilityof the fixture 300. For example, the fixture 300 may be clamped in avice, or otherwise secured. A vacuum source or sources may then beconnected to the ports 320 and first mirror 102 may be placed againstthe face of the adjuster 200 a, and arranged so as to fit into thepositioning lip 230 of the adjuster 200 a. Ambient pressure may thenhold first mirror 102 securely against the movable plate 211 of theadjuster 200 a, as facilitated by the vacuum drawing against the back offirst mirror 102. Second mirror 104 may then likewise be positioned onthe face of the adjuster 200 b, fitted into the positioning lip 230 onthe adjuster 200 b, and similarly held in place by ambient pressure, asfacilitated by the vacuum drawing against the back of second mirror 104.Third mirror 106 may then be placed onto the plate 306, and positionedwith a corner of third mirror 106 against the positioning pins 324 toprovide initial alignment, with respect to first mirror 102, and secondmirror 104. In this arrangement, the positions of first mirror 102,second mirror 104, and/or third mirror 106 is such that they may be heldsecurely, with the appropriate edges of the respective mirrors alignedwith and proximate to the adjacent mirrors of the assembly as describedin the previous discussion of the CCM 100, as depicted in FIG. 1A, FIG.1B, and FIG. 1C. The apertures 322 in the fixture 300 may facilitateaccess to the back edges of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 when they are in place as described herein, and mayfacilitate the attachment of the supporting members 108 in theappropriate locations, as previously described. The angular relationshipbetween each of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror106 may then be adjusted by turning knobs 212 and measuring ormonitoring the angular relationship.

In an embodiment, the components of the fixture 300 may be attached toone another, either temporarily or permanently, or may otherwise bedisposed or configured in proximity to one another by any means ormanner that provides appropriate support for and/or alignment of thecomponents of the CCM 100 before, during and/or after the assemblyprocess. In addition, any viable means of suspending, holding, affixing,and/or otherwise positioning of the components of the CCM 100 may beemployed as an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The angular relationship of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 may be measured by any means suitable to facilitatesufficiently accurate and precise alignment as called for by theapplication for which the final product CCM 100 is intended. In anembodiment of the disclosure, a wavefront analyzer (not shown) may bearranged to project an image onto the faces of first mirror 102, secondmirror 104, and third mirror 106 as they are held in place in thefixture 300. The wavefront analyzer may then monitor the image reflectedback from the faces of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and thirdmirror 106. Those of skill in the art will realize that the imageobserved by the monitor of the reflected image of the wavefront analyzermay appear as a set of concentric rings of varying diameter and maytherefore resemble, for example, a bulls-eye figure. One skilled in theart may also realize that by adjusting the angular relationship betweenfirst mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 by, forinstance, turning the knobs 212, the concentric rings of the reflectedimage may change, with respect to the shape and/or relative position ofthe rings. By adjusting first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/orthird mirror 106 with the knobs 212 and observing the appearance of theconcentric rings, the angular relationship of first mirror 102, secondmirror 104, and third mirror 106 can be brought into alignment so as toprovide the appropriate configuration required for a particularapplication of the CCM 100. For instance, the respective angles betweeneach of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106 may beadjusted to 324,000 arc-seconds+/−1 arc-second, or other measure ofaccuracy as deemed appropriate by a given application of the CCM 100.

In an embodiment, the components of the CCM 100 may be adjusted as theadhesive cures. Without wishing to be limited by theory, some adhesivesmay expand or contract as they cure. This expansion and/or contractionmay cause deformation of the structure and/or components of the CCM 100,which may result in inaccuracies with respect to the angles betweenfirst mirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106. In order tocompensate for this movement, the adjustable stages may be continuouslyand/or occasionally adjusted, as the adhesive cures. In this manner, theresultant CCM 100 may have improved accuracy of the angularrelationships between first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/or thirdmirror 106 of the CCM 100.

In an embodiment, fixture 300 may be arranged in an invertedconfiguration, such that the faces of the plates 302, 304, 306 arepointed downward. In this configuration, the component mirrors 102, 104,106 may be held in place by a suitable force, such as by vacuum asdescribed above, and the wavefront analyzer (not shown) may project animage upward, onto the faces of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, andthird mirror 106 in order to facilitate alignment and assembly of theCCM 100. In an embodiment, the components of CCM 100 may be held and/orobserved at or from any suitable angle for a given application ordesire.

FIG. 4 is a back view of an embodiment of a CCM 400 of the disclosure.The CCM 400 is similar to the CCM 100, and comprises first mirror 102,second mirror 104, and third mirror 106. In addition to first mirror102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106, CCM 400 comprisesadditional supporting members 108. In the present embodiment, assemblyof the CCM 400 may be facilitated by employing small pieces of thesupporting member 108. During the assembly process, small pieces of thesupporting member 108 may be held with, for instance, tweezers or smallpliers. An appropriate adhesive may be applied to the supporting member108, the edges of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/or thirdmirror 106 to be assembled, and/or both. The supporting member 108 maythen be attached in the appropriate location by passing it through theapertures of the fixture 300 and placing it onto the edges of firstmirror 102, second mirror 104, and third mirror 106. This can berepeated at the edges near the point at which first mirror 102, secondmirror 104, and third mirror 106 converge, as well as at the outer edgesof the junctions of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and thirdmirror 106, via the respective apertures, as needed.

In an embodiment, the corner cube mirror 400 may be held in place in thefixture 300 for an appropriate amount of time while the adhesive cures.Curing of the adhesive may be improved or brought about more quickly byapplication of light of a given wavelength, curing accelerants, heat, orother method or means of speeding the curing process. The corner cubemirror 400 may then be removed from the fixture 300 and, if appropriate,additional supporting members 108 may be adhered in between thealready-present supporting members 108, or in any location that mayfacilitate enhancement of the CCM 400. Any means of attaching, adhering,affixing, bonding, or otherwise adjoining the components of the CCM 400may be employed in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the first pieces of the supporting members 108 to beattached to the CCM 400 may be smaller in length than those that may beattached subsequent to the removal of the CCM 400 from the fixture 300,so as to facilitate their passage through the apertures 322. Forinstance, the smaller pieces of the supporting members 108 that areattached via the apertures 322 may be shorter than about 50% of thelength of the edges of first mirror 102, second mirror 104, and/or thirdmirror 106. Conversely, once the CCM 400 is removed from the fixture300, additional pieces of the supporting members 108 that may be adheredbetween the smaller supporting members 108 may be longer, as anapplication calls for, and may provide additional strength of the CCM400. For example, the longer pieces of the supporting members 108 may belonger than about 50% of the length of the edges of first mirror 102,second mirror 104, and third mirror 106. In an embodiment, any size,shape, length, geometry, quantity, or configuration of supportingmembers 108 may be employed to facilitate or enhance the assemblyprocess, the structural integrity, the robustness, and/or the alignmentof the CCM 400. In an embodiment, any suitable adhesive, bonding agent,attachment method, or medium may also be employed in the attachmentprocess of the components of the CCM 400.

FIG. 5 illustrates several views of embodiments of a CCM 500, of thedisclosure. FIG. 5 a is a side view of two adjacent mirrors, mirror 502and mirror 504 of the CCM 500, with a supporting member 506. In thisembodiment, mirror 502 and mirror 504 do not overlap. That is to say,the substrate of mirror 502 does not rest on the face of mirror 504.

Similarly, the substrate of mirror 504 does not rest on the face ofmirror 502. In this configuration, the contact area between mirror 502and mirror 504 is reduced, and adhering them one to another without thebenefit of supporting member 506 may result in a structure with reducedstructural strength and/or rigidity. As one of skill in the art mayrealize, adhering supporting member 506 in an arrangement such that itis along the edges of both mirror 502 and mirror 504 may provideincreased contact area between the two mirrors. This increased contactarea, when properly adhered to each of mirror 502 and mirror 504, mayprovide additional strength, rigidity, and/or structural stability formirror 502 and mirror 504. This process may be repeated with respect toan additional mirror (not shown) to form the final product mirrorassembly such as CCM 500.

In addition to the increased contact area, supporting member 506 mayprovide rigidity and/or structural stability to the assembly of mirrorsmirror 502 and mirror 504. Not wishing to be limited by theory, in thisarrangement, supporting member 506 may act as a bracing component forthe mirror assembly. As one of skill in the art may appreciate, thisbracing effect may derive from the lever-like nature of the placement ofsupporting member 506. Taking this a step further, adjoining a thirdmirror (not shown) as described herein above, with the same supportingmember arrangement and configuration, may yield a CCM 500 with improvedstructural properties, which may in turn provide robustness, accuracy,and precision of the final CCM 500.

FIG. 5 b illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure. In thisembodiment, mirror 504 overlaps a portion of the reflective surface ofmirror 502. As shown, mirror 504 rests partially on the face of mirror502, yet is left partially hanging off of the face of mirror 502. Theportion that is not positioned directly onto the face of mirror 502 isaffixed to the supporting member 506, which is likewise affixed to theedge of mirror 502. In this configuration, the interface between mirrorsmirror 502 and mirror 504 is augmented by the addition of the contactarea between them that is provided by the supporting member 506. Inaddition to the additional contact area between mirrors mirror 502 andmirror 504, supporting member 506 may also provide added strength byvirtue of the leverage it adds, as described above.

In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, FIG. 5 c shows mirror 504arranged such that its edge is completely resting on the face of mirror502. As can be seen in FIG. 5 c, the supporting member 506 is arrangedbelow mirror 504, and is attached to the face of mirror 502, and to thesubstrate of mirror 504, to add additional contact area and leverage forimproved strength and/or rigidity of the CCM 500.

As may be appropriate in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 b and 5c, the portion of the mirror 502 onto which mirror 504 is to be placedmay be suitably prepared to accept adhesion of mirror 504 onto mirror502, such as by sandblasting, etching, or otherwise preparing the faceof mirror 502, as previously described herein above.

While FIG. 5 illustrates the attachment of two mirrors, it is to beunderstood that this is an example of the process of assembling a CCM500 as in CCM 500, and only describes the attachment of the first twomirrors of the three-mirror CCM 500, but should not be taken as limitingthe disclosure. FIG. 5 is only provided as an example of additionalembodiments of the disclosure that may provide improvements to some ofthe embodiments described herein.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a method 600 is illustrated. In step 602,assembling a CCM 100 starts. In step 604, a first, a second, and a thirdreflective surface are arranged normal to one another. In this step, aspreviously described, an alignment apparatus my be employed to hold andalign the components of CCM 100, during assembly.

In step 606, the angular relationship between the reflective surfaces isobserved. For example, a wavefront analyzer may impose an image onto thesurfaces of the CCM 100. The image reflected off of the reflectivesurfaces of the CCM 100 may be observed to, for example, ascertain thedegree of perpendicularity of the angles between each of the reflectivesurfaces of the CCM 100.

In step 608, the angular relationship of the reflective surfaces may beadjusted by, for example, manipulating the knobs of adjusters, asdescribed herein above. As described herein above, a wavefront analyzeror similar device may project an image onto the reflective surfaces ofCCM 100, and the reflected image monitored to facilitate alignment ofthe components of CCM 100.

In step 610, the reflective surfaces are adjoined by attachingsupporting members to the reflective surfaces with an adhesive, asdescribed herein above. For example, supporting members may be coatedwith an adhesive, passed through apertures in the alignment apparatus,and adhered to edges of the substrates of the reflective surfaces of thecomponent mirrors of CCM 100.

While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure,it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods may beembodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spiritor scope of the present disclosure. The present examples are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is notto be limited to the details given herein. For example, the variouselements or components may be combined or integrated in another systemor certain features may be omitted or not implemented.

Also, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described andillustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may becombined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, ormethods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations areascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for assembling a retroreflectivedevice comprising: a first plate, a second plate, and a third plate,each with a face, each of which is adjoined substantially perpendicularto each of the other plates, wherein the faces of the plates aresubstantially normal to each other; a first alignment device coupled tothe face of the first plate, the first alignment device furthercomprising a first adjustable plate that is substantially parallel tothe face of the first plate and movably coupled to the first plate, thefirst adjustable plate being adjustable with respect to an angularrelationship with the second plate and the third plate; a secondalignment device coupled to the face of the second plate, the secondalignment device further comprising a second adjustable plate that issubstantially parallel to the face of the second plate and movablycoupled to the second plate, the second adjustable plate beingadjustable with respect to an angular relationship with the first plateand the third plate; attachment appurtenances on the first alignmentdevice and the second alignment device, the attachment appurtenancesconfigured to hold components of the retroreflective device onto thealignment devices while assembling the components of the retroreflectivedevice; and apertures provided in one or more of the first, the second,and the third plates through which portions of the retroreflectivedevice are accessible during the assembling of the retroreflectivedevice, wherein the assembling includes an adhesive curing step.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the attachment appurtenances are at leastone type selected from the group consisting of: an adhesive, a fastener,a clip, a pin, a spring, a tab, and a force.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2wherein the force is at least one selected from a ground of forcesconsisting of: gravitational, mechanical, centrifugal, and pressure. 4.The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the adhesive is at least one selectedfrom the group consisting of: cyanoacrylate adhesive, polyurethaneadhesive, and epoxy adhesive.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 where in theepoxy adhesive is a glass-filled epoxy adhesive.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein adjacent reflective surfaces overlap.
 7. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein adjacent reflective surfaces do not overlap.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the faces of the plates are optically flat.9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein perpendicular is defined as beingwithin less than 40 arc-seconds of perpendicular.